DennisG learning Eva Cassidy's "Autumn Leaves"

Chasplaya
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Thu Aug 26, 2010 3:44 am

Bravo Dennis, well played, certainly did that justice. Encore !


AcousticAl
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Thu Aug 26, 2010 6:06 am

Hi Dennis,

Just saw this upload. I don't know what happened at that guitar camp- but I agree with Jay that your playing has gone to a new level.

I liked your effortless switch between strumming and fingerpicking. Liked the pinky-bends and the slides. Liked your heartfelt singing.

I did notice that you heavily anchor your fingerpicking. Seems to be working for you. Did that come up at the camp?

All-round excellent version.


dekotaj
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Thu Aug 26, 2010 9:17 am

BRAVO!!!BRAVO!!!Dennis,

What a fantastic job on a beautiful song!Man what I would do for a set of pipes like that.Well I guess I just keep humming them.Great sound from that Taylor,Hell even when you adjusted the guitar you didn't miss a beat.Bravo!Dennis,BRAVO!!

Kevin


dennisg
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Thu Aug 26, 2010 11:28 am

Thanks so much, everyone, for your many kindnesses and support. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. This song is about a lost romantic love, but for me it's about the loss of my brother -- the guy who taught me to play the guitar when I was about 14, the guy who was the single most important influence in my life, and the guy whose passing resulted in me picking up the guitar again after not touching it for decades. More than anyone, he would have been thrilled to see the progress I've made in my playing. Now, on to specific comments:

Jay: I'm actually embarrassed by something I said in my intro to this song -- that I make an attempt to not sing it like Eva. That statement presumes that I even could sing it like her if I simply chose to. After I posted my version, I went back and watched hers, and I thought, Holy crap ... that has to be one of the single greatest vocal performances I've heard.

Suzi: It's not that I'm bending the notes better than before or that my 814 projects them any better than my previous guitar -- it's that I'm playing songs that have a pronounced 7th chord that I tend to pounce on and bend. Both "Crazy" and "Autumn Leaves" have one.

Mark: A few people commented on the emotion in the song, which is why I felt I should explain my brother's passing and what it means to me. In all honesty, it's very difficult for me to get through this song, and that's why I did it in one take and accepted the little mistakes I wouldn't have tolerated in other songs I've done.

Michele: Aside from my wife Jamie, you are the one person who's heard my version of this song and connected the dots between it and my brother. Thank you so much for your sensitivity and empathy, not to mention your enthusiasm and friendship. That we live thousands of miles apart is a source of enduring frustration for me.

Pierre: I think my dog was watching something on the Food Network at the time, and couldn't be bothered with my recording.

Marc: The picking that comes just before the slide is something I realized, only days ago, that I had been playing incorrectly. I changed it so that I'm alternately plucking two pairs of strings. To start with, I'm playing an Am chord, plucking the fifth string, then the second and fourth strings simultaneously, then the first and third, back to the second and fourth with a slide up to the third fret. It sounds much more complicated than it is.

Andy: Hah! Neil would cringe at the thought of a guest instructor who anchors his pinky. But thanks for the compliment.

Willem: Dank u voor de mooie dingen zei u.

Chris: This song would never have happened without you bringing it to my attention, so I'll always be grateful to you for that. There are some songs I've learned for videos that I sort of let go of afterwards, but not this one. I'll likely be playing this one forever. Along with the various new chords, bends and slides, I did a pull-off (very near the beginning of the song) for the first time -- so there were quite a few new things to learn. But that's part of the reason I choose certain songs.

Al: I've been playing a song lately that requires I play a G chord Neil's way, so I've been able to relearn that. At guitar camp, one of my instructors wanted us to play an A chord Neil's way, and that didn't seem to be a problem for me either. But anchoring my pinky ... I haven't been able to break that habit. It didn't come up at camp because I took only flatpick classes.

Kevin: Thanks. I'm always amazed when people think my voice has anything pleasant going for it, because to me it sounds thin and reedy.


tvarga
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Thu Aug 26, 2010 1:31 pm

Very impressive!!


Catman
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Thu Aug 26, 2010 3:55 pm

Dennis, you've outdone yourself yet again.

-David


reiver
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Fri Aug 27, 2010 1:12 pm

Dennis

On the minus side - it looks like I got here late again.
On the plus side - I do get to bump this video to the top of the page!

As a performance, there is little that I can usefully add to what has been said before. I'm sure you must be very pleased with how this song turned out, for all the reasons you already mentioned.

From a playing perspective - I thought the anchoring was much more apparent tin this video than in previous. I've heard you mention this before as being a 'problem' for you and was wondering if you are trying to stop yourself from doing it or if you have just resigned yourself to it. Other than that, I thought you played a tricky song extremely well. Congratulations.

Stuart


BobR
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Fri Aug 27, 2010 7:01 pm

Hi Dennis,

I don't know how I missed this upload, but I must say I thought it was excellent!! I really enjoy your uploads especially when you add the introduction.

Fabulous job

Bob


d_dog
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Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:40 pm

Truly inspiring Dennis. So very sorry for your loss. I have no constructive criticism, only praise. I have been so absent around here lately I am sorry I missed this for over a week. Great song, great rendition.


RicksPick
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Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:08 am

Dennis
Back from my Holiday trying to catch up here
And what a gem to find

That was stunning

Feed Back...

Put that at the start of any set/performance you do
And their yours

RicksPick


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